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Chapter 3

The question replayed in my head like it was my favorite song on repeat, and that voice of his, was unforgettable to me. His hot breath against my ear lobe made me squirm on the sidewalk, unable to breathe properly.

He slowly retracted his arms from underneath me, gently placing me on the sidewalk. People stared in our direction, their gaze centered on the gorgeous boy whom they might not even recognize, walking away from me.

It was the second time today he had saved my life, and I was about to let him walk away without even giving him a proper thanks.

"Hey! Wait up a second!" I called out to him, as I dusted off the dirt on my skirt and sweater. He hadn't walked that far from me, so I could catch up easily.

He paused the rhythmic movement of his feet, lifting up his hoodie to cover his face from the others. I let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to bolt over to him, only to have a little crowd of people surround me.

"Did you get hurt anywhere?"

"Should I call your mom?"

"The hospital isn't far, I can drive."

I tried to use my eyes to find Carlisle through the faces that clustered up my vision. But the more I tried to find him, the harder it became, till I realised he had already left.

"I am fine, it was just a scratch." I told them, especially the person who had wanted to call my mom. Though I doubted that the wouldn't have already heard this much before dinner time.

This is Redlake after all, where nothing can be kept secret for too long.

These people on the street were so nice to even pay my bus ticket, claiming I was still in shock from the near accident. Someone even offered to buy me some fruit if that would help.

I was texting Olive while on the bus, following up on the petition idea I gave her. Even as her best friend, it came as a shock to hear she actually won the student presidential elections.

"List?" I raised my brow staring at the attachment file she had sent to me along with one new message.

“The principal says that we have to turn in the signatures of all our classmates to get the petition to the school board. Here's your part of the list. Gud luck.”

I slapped my forehead, it had slipped my mind that I would be helping her with the petition. And worse of all, we had to get everyone to sign the petition, before it could be considered.

The bus stopped close to my house, I alighted it and jogged away, hoping to at least get home before these grey clouds start to pour down a heavy rainfall.

My dad's new car was parked outside, which could only mean that my parents were at home today. A small smile played on my lips, at the possiblity that they might never have to hear about what happened just now.

As I placed my hand on the door handle to walk inside, I felt a sharp stare directed at me in particular. I swiftly looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching me, but saw nothing but toys left out on the lawn and a garden gnome.

Inside

"I heard what happened, are you okay?" Mom asked me, right as I took off my shoes and stepped inside, holding her phone nervously to her right ear.

I made a face at my family, who sat in the living room, waiting for me to get home in casts and bandages.

"Nothing even happened! I didn't even get hit by the car!" I explained myself, turning to March upstairs to my room to freshen up before dinner time.

"What car?" Dad pensively asked, rising to his feet, a shocked expression painted across his face.

Mom was sharing in the shock too, "were you in an accident?" Her question sounded more like a whisper, she lost her voice Midway through.

"What were you both talking about?" I asked, vividly confused by what other thing that happened to me today.

"They were talking about you getting detention on your first day dummy." Sophia made sure to mouth the word dummy, so my parents wouldn't hear her.

I fought back the urge to groan out in frustration, pissed at my own self for causing unwanted tension.

"No mom, no dad, I did not get into an accident, you can trust me when I say it, I am perfectly fine." I told them, hoping it was enough to convince them both.

"How could this have happened?" Mom dramatically asked, burying her face in her palms, slumping hard on the sofa.

"Where's that so called boyfriend of yours? Wasn't he supposed to take you home? I told you peppermint, he's no good for you." Dad stated, calling me by the childish nickname he's used ever since I could say the alphabet.

"Can I at least change before we have this talk today? It's almost going to rain soon." I used that as an excuse and ran away to my bedroom, avoiding all conversation that might remotely lead to me and Ace having to break up.

That was certainly not in my perfect school year plan.


Dinner went by without a hitch, I calmly told my parents Ace was busy this year with sports, and me being on girls volleyball helped in my argument.

Sophia didn't like how I didn't get in trouble for detention because of the accident I almost got into. What made it worse, was when mom brought up the idea of me learning how to drive and getting my own car.

I laid on my bed at night, liking comments on the picture I had taken when me and Ace went to the beach.

My phone rang, it was Ace calling, I grinned at the thought of 'speak of the devil' then hurriedly answered the call.

"Hey." He said starting the conversation on a low tone.

"Hiya there." I awkwardly responded, hating myself for saying something so dumb through the phone.

"I am really sorry for not meeting up today, things at practice got really hectic for me."

"It's cool, I mean, you are the star player on the team this year." I told him, lying through my teeth that it was fine to have me wait like that without even sending a text.

But, I did not want to sound like the infamous clingy girlfriend who later gets dumped for not having a life of her own.

"I know right, so all eyes are on me this season, being captain is a big deal and dating the captain is an even bigger deal." He teased into the phone.

I laid down on my back, pulling my covers up to my chest, "oh? Is it now? I think dating the smartest girl at school is something truly remarkable." I teased back, playing his game with him.

"No, I think dating me is much more special."

"No, dating me."

We bickered like two children for three straight minutes laughing wildly in between, at the childish things we only said when with each other.

It was at the peak of my happiness, that Carlisle's face flashed before my eyes, leaving my body perfectly flaccid.

Right from his eyes that held my gaze and stole my breath, down to his well clefted jaw, that stood out, begging for attention.

I started to wonder how I had known him for so long, but never truly known him.

"You there?" I heard Ace asked, snapping me out of my deep rooted thoughts centered around the antisocial guy at school.

"Yeah, I zoned out a little." I confessed, "so, are you going to pick me up after school tomorrow, or am I going to have to take the bus again?" I asked into the phone in a casual manner, knowing today was probably just a fluke.

"I have no clue yet, I'll pick you up, but coach insists we stay an extra hour for practice after school." Ace said, sounding a bit off tonight.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm going off to bed, I reckon you do the same, you'd better look pretty tomorrow morning when I come to pick you up. Can't have the quarterback's girlfriend not looking her best." He teased, or so I'd like to think.

"Pushy much?" I retorted, but found out my sentence never reached him, the call ended from his end.

"Must be the storm about to come." I concluded, nestling into the bed ready to take a nice long well deserved sleep.

"Before I get to sleeping, I should probably check whose signatures I'm supposed to get."

I whipped out my phone, and downloaded the added file, glad that our WiFi wasn't disturbed by all the recent rains we've been having.

"McKellen...Tobias... Daniella.... Carlisle..." I took a huge pause the moment my eyes landed on a his name on my list.

To be sure, I looked at it again, checking every letter to make sure it truly was him.

"Carlisle Stoll." It read in bold letters, sitting on my phone screen, staring daggers at me.

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